James Black is European Lead for Space, and Deputy Director at RAND Europe, the European arm of RAND, the world’s largest non-profit policy research institute and the original home of game theory and deterrence research. His research has supported development of the UK’s National Space Strategy and Defence Space Strategy, and related joint warfighting concepts, as well as conducting other classified and unclassified studies for national MODs, MFAs and space agencies across NATO Member States, Australia, Japan, and Ukraine, along with EU (EDA, DG DEFIS, Parliament) and NATO institutions. His focus areas include strategic competition, deterrence and escalation management, including around dual-use systems; the evolving contribution of space to multi-domain operations; lessons from Ukraine; and the development of small and middle powers’ space (and counterspace) capabilities to contribute to collective defence and deterrence. He has also briefed national parliaments, high-level conferences, and international media, as well as United Nations OEWG negotiations on responsible space behaviours. He was previously a non-resident NATO 2030 Fellow and prior to joining RAND he worked in UK Parliament and at Transparency International’s Defence and Security Programme.